Brooder.



J. A, GARDNER. BROODER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1912 1,078,344, Patented Nov. 11, 1913.

- km] W COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60., WASHINGTON, D. c.

. JAMES A. GARDNER, OF NORTHSHADE, MICHIGAN.

BROODER.

intense. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1 1, 1913.

Application filed July 22, 1912. Serial No. 710,950.

To all whom it may concern:

1 Be it known that T, JAMES A. Gnnnnnn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Northshade, in the county of Gratiot and State of ll lichigan have invented a new and useful Breeder, of which the following of chicks occupying the breeder can regulate the ventilation by degrees when they huddle beneath the hover, as part of a flock of chicks require more hovering than the stronger more active part.

A further object is to provide an exceedingly simple inexpensive and effective breeder that will prevent the chicks from crowding one on top of the other, and will require but little care on the part of the keeper. It is found in practice that young chicks when cold and under a. hover or cover touching their backs will huddle and lift said hover or cover to a considerable height and also if a breeder is provided having an entrance or ventilating opening across one side that soon after they enter said breeder, if they are cold they will huddleuto the opposite side from the opening and when they become warm they will spread out stop lifting the hover and go near the opening for cool air.

The purpose of my invention is to cennect a closure for a ventilating opening to a movable member of a hover that can be lifted by the chicks, whereby the instincts and habits of the chicks may be taken advantage ef to regulate the ventilation of the breeder and avoid the necessity of using a lamp to heat the interior of the breeder.

l attain these and other objects by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1. is a vertical longitudinal section of the breeder. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side view of the hover after it has been removed from the casing.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the views.

The casing 1 has the form of an oblong her having a tight bottom and tight ends and sidewalls, and the top may be covered with a removable frame 9, carrying burlap or poultry netting or any suitable fabric 3. In the lower portion of one of its side walls near a front corner the casing 1 is provided with a suitable entrance door 1 for the chicks; and in the front wall of said casing with one or more window panes for admitting light into the breeder.

l vithin the casino; 1 is a removable hover ada ited to be supported at the rear by a cleat 6 secured to the inside of the back end of the casing and at each front corner by a block 7 secured to the casing.

The hover consists of a body or box 8 having securedto its bottom edge a member 9 constituting a flange around the inside of the body 8 to receive burlap or any suit able fabric for a bottom 10. At opposite sides the member 9 also constitutes flanges en the outside of the body 8. Across the bottom at the front of member 9 is secured a member 11 to which is hinged a movable member 12 preferably consisting of a light rigid frame having stretched thereover a strong fabric fleece lined or lightly padded on the under side. To each side of the member 12 is attached a screw-rod 13 which rises vertically and passes through member 9. To the top end of each screwrod is adjustably connected by a nut 14 a bar 15 fulcrumed or pivotally mounted on the body 8. To the front ends of the bars 15 is attached a rod 16 carrying a double curtain 17 of heat insulating material, stitched together. just below the red, (or it may be riveted to a bar 18 as shown in Fig. 1). i j

Below the curtain across the casing and on the floor is a strip 19 for retaining litter 20 beneath the hover. The space be tween the curtain and the strip for retain ing litter beneath the hover is the ventilating opening which serves as the deer through which chicks enter the hover. The holes in. member 9 through which the screwrods 13 pass are somewhatlarger than the rods and serve as vents for the hover chamber. Each screwrod 13 is furnished with two nuts one above the bar 15 through which it passes and the other between the bar and member 9. The adjustment of the between the back end of the .casing 1 and the movable member 12 a strip of cloth 21 reaches across the casing 1 and is secured to the cleat 6 and to a thicker cleat 22 resting on the floor and secured to the back of the casing 1.

In the body or box 8 can be placed any suitable heat retainer, a burlap sack filled with chaff will do very well.

he weight of the movable member 12 is just enough to keep the curtain 17 raised, the weight of the curtain 1? and rod 16 nearly counterbalancing the weight of said movable member so that the slightest upward pressure on the back part of the movable member 12 is sutlicient to raise it, hence the most delicate chick can readily lift and get under it.

In order to prevent the hover from sliding forward notches 23 are made in the front corners of member 11 to receive the top ends of the blocks 7. The member 11 should be from four and a half to five inches above the floor to admit ordinary chicks beneath it as long as they require hovering.

When the chicks are cold and crowd to the back part of the brooder and lift the movable member 12 the curtain 17 will lower so as to further divide the brooder into coop and hover sections. The brooder acts similarly to the mother hen when chicks creep under her and press against her body to get warm she will lower her wings and inclose them.

The brooder as shown is designed for use under cover in brooder houses and the like and if used out of doors it must be provided with a roof or protection of some kind against storms.

While my invention is particularly useful in connection with so-ca-lled tireless brooders, it can also be advantageously employed in connection with other like devices in which hovers are used.

It is obvious that my ventilating means and control may be embodied in a variety of different constructions. I therefore do not wish to limit myself to the form herein described but desire to include all such forms as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a brooder, the combination of a hover chamber having an opening to serve for ventilation and as the entrance for chicks, with a movable hover member or cover for the chicks arranged in said chamber to permit the backs of the chicks there beneath to come in light contact with it and having means connected therewith for closing or decreasing said opening on raising of said hover member or cover and for enlarging said opening on lowering of said hover member or cover.

2. In a brooder, the combination of a hover chamber having an opening to serve for ventilation and as the entrance for chicks, with a vertically swingable hover member or cover for the chicks arranged in said chamber to permit the backs of the chicks therebeneath to come in light contact with it and having means connected therewith for closing or decreasing said opening on raising of said lioveriiember or cover for the chicks.

3.111 a brooder, the combination of a hover chamber having an entrance opening, with a movable hover member or cover for the chicks located in said chamber and arranged to permit the backs of the chicks therebeneath to come in light contact with it and having means connected therewith for closing or decreasing said opening on raising of said hover member or cover and for enlarging said opening on. the lowering of said hover member or cover.

4. In a brooder, the combination of a hover chamber having an entrance opening, with a vertically swingable hover member or cover for the chicks arranged in said chamber to permit the backs of the chicks therebeneath to come in light contact with it and having means connected therewith for closing or decreasing said opening on raising of said hover-member or cover.

JAMES A. GARDNER. \Vitnesses E. H. NAHLRETT, E, L. SALISBURY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

